Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
The Worldnutdaily reports:
The principal of a South Carolina public school announced he plans to resign following a demand to launch a student club to promote homosexuality."The formation of this club conflicts with my professional beliefs in that we do not have other clubs at Irmo High School based on sexual orientation, sexual preference, or sexual activity," Principal Eddie Walker told the school community in a letter...
"I can confirm that the principal of Irmo High School, Mr. Eddie Walker, has communicated to his staff that he has submitted a letter of resignation effective at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. He cites personal principles related to a request to establish a Gay/Straight Alliance Club at the school as the reason for his resignation," wrote Price.
Buh bye. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. First of all, I am so tired of seeing this idiotic framing of GSA clubs as "promoting homosexuality." For crying out loud, do they think they're giving instruction on how to have anal sex there? These clubs form to counter the hostility, bigotry and harassment of gay students. It doesn't have a damn thing to do with sex.
But the anti-gay crowd has this bizarre filter in their brains; mention anything at all about the subject, even noting the existence of homosexuals, and they only thing they can think about is anal sex. That idiot principal in Florida who said he had to ban rainbow stickers because he was afraid students would get images of gay sex in their heads was clearly engaging in psychological projection.
Now the bad news: he's not really quitting.
Walker said in his written statement he had planned to remain at the school for two more years."I am currently in good health, am excited about the future of Irmo High school, am making new friends every day and continuing to learn from my student heroes on a daily basis," he said.
However, his letter of resignation was sent to school officials because of orders he allow the homosexual club.
"Allowing the formation of this club on our campus conflicts with my professional beliefs and religious convictions. I considered resigning this year but reconsidered because to not fulfill my written contract for the 2008-2009 school year would also conflict with my professional beliefs and religious convictions," he wrote.
"I feel the formation of a Gay/Straight Alliance Club at Irmo High school implies that students joining the club will have chosen to or will choose to engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, opposite sex or members of both sexes."
"My decision to resign is a personal choice based on my professional beliefs and religious convictions. I have prayed about this decision for a period of time, and I have a peace about it. I would ask that you respect my choice as I respect your choice to disagree with me on this issue," he wrote.
No, sorry. I do not respect your choice to be a bigot and an ignoramus.
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Comments
Good Riddance his religious convictions are just that his, they do not have a place in a public school. He should seek employment at any number of religious schools that support or share his religious convictions.
Please leave freedom free
Posted by: thethyme | May 23, 2008 9:36 AM
It is possible that he is right. Perhaps the students are so poorly educated that they don't understand the proper purpose of a GSA either. Of course, he would still be at fault.
Posted by: kehrsam | May 23, 2008 9:42 AM
"My decision to resign is a personal choice based on my professional beliefs and religious convictions."
Put it through the translator, and:
"My decision to resign is a personal choice based on religious convictions that cause me to ignore my professional duties."
There. Fixed it.
Posted by: Jason Failes | May 23, 2008 9:58 AM
Posted by: James Hanley | May 23, 2008 10:02 AM
I don't know how I feel about this. The misunderstanding and/or ignorance is bad enough, but if he were to resign on principle, then it would at least be somewhat respectable (certainly more respectable than those principals who have tried to stop students from forming GSA clubs). On the other hand, he cites almost exactly the same reason for resigning after 2008-2009 that he does for staying out his contract, which bothers me in its vagueness. I can understand one way: he's leaving because he thinks there might be a conflict between his religious convictions (which tell him there shouldn't be such a club) and his professional duties (which prohibit him from acting on those convictions). The other seems like a stretch, though: he's staying because he wants to fulfill his duties as principal (makes sense to professional beliefs) and...what about religious convictions would make him stay? I can think of personal religious convictions that would make me want to stay were I in Walker's shoes - a desire to demonstrate how grace can be offered to all people, for instance - but that doesn't seem to jibe with his words here. So I find the reasons either way somewhat trite.
Posted by: The Christian Cynic | May 23, 2008 10:19 AM
Ed said:
"But the anti-gay crowd has this bizarre filter in their brains; mention anything at all about the subject, even noting the existence of homosexuals, and they only thing they can think about is anal sex."
How do you know they are not thinking about oral sex, you dirty boy? Give oral sex its props!!
Posted by: Gingerbaker | May 23, 2008 10:33 AM
JH:
No, he's just making the usual causation/correlation error. The following rewrite of his quote is no doubt true:
Also true, of course, if a GSA club isn't and of students who don't. But logic is seldom a strong point for these folks.
- Charles
Posted by: ctw | May 23, 2008 10:34 AM
This is pure conjecture, but I'm guessing he views having committed to a contract as having given his word, a promise. Doesn't the Bible have some rather specific things to say about honoring one's promises?
Posted by: Abby Normal | May 23, 2008 10:34 AM
Cynic: It's the "Covenant" thing. Israel never got to wriggle out of a contract, so why should this guy?
Posted by: kehrsam | May 23, 2008 10:35 AM
But the anti-gay crowd has this bizarre filter in their brains; mention anything at all about the subject, even noting the existence of homosexuals, and they only thing they can think about is anal sex.
Well yeah. See it's right there in the name homosex-uals. "Homosex". It's all the fault of those "ho-mo-SEX-uals" who make it all about the anal sex just by calling themselves by that name. And of course the correct pronunciation of the word puts all of the emphasis on SEX - if God didn't want it that way then He would have created some other word for it.
Because as I've read in a number of places (from links I think Ed actually posted here), the "homosex" is so much better than heterosexual activity that if men (and, somehow, it almost always seems to revolve around the men) could have sex with other men with no repercussions from the community at large, then ALL MEN WOULD ABANDON THEIR WIVES AND LIVE LIVES OF ho-mo-SEX-ual DECADENCE. OMG! THE WORLD WILL END!
It would almost be funny if this stuff didn't actually end up hurting people. Almost.
Posted by: NonyNony | May 23, 2008 10:50 AM
Hey NonyNony - It must so comforting that the Republican and the Relgious Bigots (sorry) Right are spearheading (so to speak) this effort to sacrifice themselves by having sex (in public toilets) with as many homoSEXuals as they can! -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | May 23, 2008 10:54 AM
In my experience, this is pretty much true. I'm not gay and I'm not sure we even had one in my high school. If we did, no one ever went. There wasn't harassment going on, and no one joined.
Posted by: Dennis N | May 23, 2008 10:54 AM
Ah but some promises are ment to be broken or should be at the very least.
Posted by: GH | May 23, 2008 10:59 AM
For crying out loud, do they think they're giving instruction on how to have anal sex there?
I agree completely. As Lenny Bruce once said, "A knowledge of syphilis is not an instruction to get it."
Posted by: Jacob Sherwood | May 23, 2008 11:31 AM
"reconsidered because to not fulfill my written contract for the 2008-2009 school year would also conflict with my professional beliefs and religious convictions" Bullshit. Resigning would conflict with his need for a steady paycheck. I think we can all understand that. Of course, rational thinkers tend to check the urge to tell bosses who do something we view as idiotic or don't understand so, especially in writing. Bottom dollar, he's hoping the extra year will bring about one of two things: the school begging him to stay or some fundy school/group making him an offer for being such a fine, upstanding Christian speaking up against vile sin. In other words, his values take second place to money. 'Nough said about them. Actions speak louder than words.
Posted by: Donna | May 23, 2008 12:11 PM
"By thier fruits Ye shall know them." -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | May 23, 2008 12:28 PM
I live in the area. I suspect he did this to try to start a popular outcry from the religious right to force the school board to back his position.
And it may be working. The school board has announced that they plan on looking at how clubs are structured in the district and what types of clubs should get school support.
Posted by: John | May 23, 2008 12:47 PM
Abby, kehrsam, your point is granted, but it still strikes me as a bit strange that Walker had such strong convictions about standing up for his belief against homosexuality and then reconsidered on the basis of an obligation. If he found a conflict between the two convictions and felt this the best way to resolve it, then I suppose I can't really fault him for it, but it does seem rather unlikely to me. I am willing, however, to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Posted by: The Christian Cynic | May 23, 2008 2:24 PM
This man is the principal of a public high school, I honestly feel that officially airing these antihomosexual beliefs should be grounds for dismissal. He should not be allowed to finish out his contract. I don't give a shit how he's framing it, saying he's just against sex in general, same and opposite sex. This just proves how utterly idiotic he is, homosexuality isn't the act of sex, though this lie is something clung to desperately by his ilk. Yes he has the right to believe whatever he wants, however we all admit on at least a weekly basis on this blog that public school is not the real world. I feel very sorry right now for the gay students at that school who have decided to come out. The bullies now have a vocal authority figure on their side, and they now feel that their religious views are being persecuted. Time for them to circle the wagons and fight the dirty queers, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Posted by: paul | May 23, 2008 3:12 PM
What does he call the prom? Isn't this a massive affirmation of one's heterosexuality?
Posted by: Timothy | May 23, 2008 3:59 PM
Wonder how long it would take the KKKristian Reich to react to a principal who substituted the word bible study for gay.
Posted by: democommie | May 23, 2008 11:43 PM
"...mention anything at all about the subject, even noting the existence of homosexuals, and the only thing they can think about is anal sex."
The very fact that it is common in the anti-gay crowd to use the term "sodomites" instead of "gays and lesbians" or "homosexuals" proves this point.
Posted by: daniel rotter | May 24, 2008 12:31 AM
Ten points to Timothy for mentioning THE PROM.
Do y'all realize that under the CA Supreme Court decision, even if the Jim Crow Marriage Amendment is passed this year, every other form of discrimination will be outlawed in Callifornia, INCLUDING AT HIGHSCHOOL PROMS. Yep, now Adam and Steve will be able to dress up and go to the prom, and dance the night away! And no public school administration will be able to stop them, any more than they would be able to stop an interracial heterosexual couple. WHOOPIE! Major victory there!
I can hardly wait to see how the rightie-nutters will react to that one!
As for this principal and his principles, according to my translator ("the Panasonic Diplomat: accurate to three leading zeroes after the decimal place"), what he said was:
"If this club gets started on my campus, guys will start comparing notes and wondering why I stare at their cute teenage bodies like that."
Under every fanatical homophobe lurks a closet case with cognitive dissonance.
Posted by: g347 | May 24, 2008 4:28 AM